Easy opening container



July 19, 1955 NUTE ET AL 2,713,454

EASY OPENING CONTAINER Filed April 14, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet l TJIZL Z2 Z3Z2 9 Z2 Z3 2 /9 14y M .4 II 6 7 7 l 5 M 1 55 4 6% 1/ I July 19, J H NUTEET L EASY OPENING CONTAINER Fig.4.

Filed April 14, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 14,1954 J4, 0 gan 2x4. 4720/1145 AgQNEY: 9

United States EASY OPENING CONTAINER Jay H. Nute, San Leandro, and HenryA. L. Thomas, Oakland, Calif., assignors to The Patent and Licensing(ilorporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Massac usettsApplication April 14, 1954, Serial No. 423,072

5 Claims. (Cl. 229-51) The present invention relates to a container,preferably a shipping container, which may be opened easily.

In containers of corrugated and solid fiber paperboard customarily usedfor shipping articles such as canned foods, the container is ordinarilya regular slotted carton glued at the overlapped top and bottom flapsover large areas so that it is rather difficult to open the box bypulling on the top flaps. Sometimes a sharp device is used to completelyout off the top of the box, but besides requiring the availability ofthe cutting instrument, a possibility of damage to the contents exists.Various modifications of the containers have been proposed to facilitateopening, such as installing tear strips in the container, but suchdevices are expensive and not always completely satisfactory in openingthe box. It is also oft-times desirable to remove only a small portionof the contents, and in that event, it is desirable that the top of thecontainer remain intact and be available for folding back to close thecontainer. In addition, it is desirable to have a neatly opened box foruse as a carry-out box by the customer. Alternatively, it may bedesirable to remove the top for display purposes or for ease in markingthe merchandise.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a devicefor easily opening containers having overlapping glued flaps.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device foreasily and neatly opening containers having overlapping glued flapswherein no portion of the container is necessarily removed.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a containerhaving overlapping glued flaps which may be easily opened and which mayhave substantially the whole top neatly removed for display purposes.

These and other objects are achieved by the present invention. stood byreference to the attached drawings illustrating preferred embodiments ofthe invention, but it will be understood that variations andsubstitutions may be made within the scope of the claims. In thedrawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a container blank;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the blank of Fig. 1 assembled, but withthe top only partially closed;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the container illustrated in Figs. 1 and2 with the top completely closed;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the lines 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional enlargement of one corner of thecontainer illustrated at Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the container with the top torn open,and;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 2 of an alternativecontainer with the cover partially closed.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a container blank adapted to form a containersimilar to that shown in Fig. 7, but adapted to be fastened by a tape.

With reference to the drawings, it will be seen that there isillustrated a modified slotted carton comprising The invention will bemore readily under- Z,?l3,454 Patent ed July 19, 1955 side Walls 10 and11 and end walls 12 and 13 as well as a glue or stitch flap 1.4, eachdefined from the other by fold or score lines 15. Continuous with thewalls 10, 11, 12 and 13, and defined therefrom by fold lines 15 are thebottom flaps 16. Continuous with side walls 10 and 11 are outer topfiaps 17 and 18, respectively defined from the walls 10 and 11 by foldlines 15, and containing perforated tear lines 19, preferably locatednearer the fold line than the outer edge of the flap.

Continuous with ends 12 and 13 and separated therefrom by fold lines 15,are inner top flaps 21, each comprising two substantially equal portionsor tabs 22 divided by a slot 23 and extending from the outer edge of theflap inwardly to a perforated tear line 24 which may, in the blank, becontinuous with tear lines 19 'in the flaps 17 and 18.

In the assembly of the container, the four ends and sides are folded toa rectangular form and the glue flaps adhered to an end wall by gluingor stapling as illus trated. Alternatively, other fastening means suchas a tape could be substituted. The bottom flaps 16 are folded inwardlyand secured as by gluing, but these in turn may be stapled or taped. Thecontainer is then ready to be filled. After filling, the flaps 21 arefolded inwardly and glue placed on the flaps 17 and 18 which are foldedand secured to tabs 22. Staples may be used in place of the glue, butwhether staples or glue are used, it is important that such fasteningmeans he kept within the areas of tab 22 as is shown more clearly atFig. 5, such that a marginal edge is left around the container when thetop is torn open, as illustrated at Fig. 6. It is also desirable to keepthe fastening means within the areas between the tear lines and theouter edges of flaps 17 and 18 so that if it is desired to tear the topflaps along the perforated lines 19 in order to remove the cover fordisplay purposes, no glued surfaces need be delaminated.

An alternative form of the container is shown at Fig. 7 wherein theperforated line 19 is not included, so that the container may be openedas easily as the preferred embodiment, but no perforated line isprovided for removing the entire top for display purposes.

In order to open the container all that is necessary is to insert afinger between the two outer flaps and lift smartly. The inner flapsthen separate on the lines of perforation 24 and the container opensneatly, easily and quickly. The thus opened flaps 17 and 18 may beeasily removed by tearing along the perforations 19.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the container maybe made of any material suitable for the purpose, including corrugatedand solid fiber boxboard, and while the invention is directed primarilyto a shipping container, it may apply as well to a folding carton. Itwill also be understood that while the container illustrated is aregular slotted carton having a boxmakers corner, the invention may beapplied to other types of containers having overlapping closure flaps.If desirable, the invention can be applied to both the top and thebottom of a container.

The advantages of the present invention are many. The invention providesa container which is easily folded and closed. By means which are soinexpensive as to be negligible, there is provided a container which maybe easily opened by pull on either of the top flaps. This isaccomplished without a tear strip or any other extraneous device. It isalso possible by the present invention to easily remove substantiallythe entire top of the box neatly so as to present an attractiveappearance if used for display purposes. The invention eliminates theneed for the use of any cutting tool. The invention further permits easyreclosure of the top after opening. The invention can be installed inregular manufacturing operations. The container after being opened andhaving the contents removed provides a neat carry-out box for customeruse.

While the drawings indicate the slot 2-3 forming two equal tabs 22, itis within the scope of the invention to move these slots to one side orthe other to the extent that the position generally may be described assubstantially midway between the lateral edges thereof. A desirablereason for a slightly off-center slot is that if the outer flaps do notcome completely together, a portion of the underneath tabs will coverthe space between the upper flaps so that the goods will not heuncovered. Another reason is that one of the outer flaps may, ifdesired, be glued to four of the tabs 22 to two of which the other outerflap is also glued. This glue line extending to the second set of tabs,if used at all, should be relatively narrow so that the container canstill be opened by finger pull. Alternatively, it will be understoodthat it is within the scope of the invention to move the slot 23 offcenter accompanied by the use of a top flap 17 of a different width thantop flap 18. This, however, is somewhat less desirable since thecontainer blanl; deviates from the rectangular.

It will be appreciated that substitutions and deviations from thedescription herein, particularly as applied to substitutes for slots,extent of the slots, interchangeability of side and end walls, and theparallel relation of the perforated lines, as well as substitutes forperforated lines, will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

We claim:

1. An easy opening corrugated paperboard rectangular container forarticles comprising two oppositely disposed end walls, two oppositelydisposed side walls, a bottom and a top, said top comprising end flapsof substantially equal size extending from the said end walls,respectively, and folded toward one another, a perforated tear lineextending between the lateral edges of said end flaps parallel to thetop edge of said respective end walls and closer thereto than to theouter edges of said end flaps, a slot in each of said end flapssubstantially midway between the lateral edges thereof, and extendingsubstantially perpendicularly from the outer edges of said end flaps tothe said perforated tear lines therein, side flaps of substantiallyequal size extending, respectively, from the upper edges of said sidewalls, said side flaps being folded toward one another to overlie saidend flaps with their outer edges substantially abutting, a perforatedtear line extending between the lateral edges of said side flapsparallel to the upper edge of the said respective side walls and nearerto said upper edges of said side walls than to the outer edges of saidside flaps, and said side flaps being adapted to be glued to saidunderlying end flaps only in the area of said side and end flaps betweenthe said perforated lines and the outer edges thereof.

2. An easy opening paperboard rectangular container for articlescomprising two oppositely disposed end walls, two oppositely disposedside walls, a bottom and a top, said top comprising end flaps ofsubstantially equal size extending from the said end walls,respectively, and folded toward one another, a perforated tear lineextending between the lateral edges of said end flaps closer to the topedge of said respective end walls than to the outer edges of said endflaps, a slot in each of said end flaps substantially midway between thelateral edges thereof, and extending substantially perpendicularly fromthe outer edges of said end flaps to the said perforated tear linestherein, side flaps of substantially equal size extending, respectively,from the upper edges of said side Walls, said side flaps being foldedtoward one another to overlie said end flaps with their outer edgessubstantially abutting, and said side flaps being adapted to be fastenedto said underlying end flaps only in the area of said end flaps betweenthe said perforated lines and the outer edges thereof.

3. A container blank adapted to be erected to form a container forarticles comprising a substantially rectangular sheet of paperboardhaving four sideby-side panels defined by two opposite edges of theblank and llllCJ spaced parallel fold lines parallel to and intermediatesaid opposite edges, each panel having flaps extending, respectively,from opposite edges of the panel and defined from the panel by foldlines at right angles to said firstmentioned spaced parallel fold lines,the flap on the cor responding edge of each of two alternate panelshaving a perforated tear line extending between the lateral edges ofsaid flap closer to the fold line defining the flap from the panel thanto the outer edge of the flap, and slot in each of the two perforatedflaps substantially midway between the lateral edges thereof, andextending substantially perpendicularly from the outer edge of thercspective flap to the said perforated tear line therein.

4. An easy opening paperboard rectangular container for articlescomprising two oppositely disposed end walls, two oppositely disposedside walls, a bottom and a top, said top comprising end flaps ofsubstantially equal size extending from the said end walls,respectively, and folded toward one another, a perforated tear lineextending between the lateral edges of said end flaps closer to the topedge of said respective end walls than to tne outer edges of said endflaps, severing means in each of said end flaps substantially midwaybetween the lateral edges thereof, and extending substantiallyperpendicularly from the outer edges of said end flaps to the saidperforated tear lines therein, side flaps of substantially equal sizeextending, respectively, from the upper edges of said side walls, saidside flaps being folded toward one another to overlie said end flapswith their outer edges substantially abutting, and said side flaps beingsecured to said underlying end flaps in the area of said end fiapsbetween the said perforated lines and the outer edges thereof.

5. A container blank adapted to be erected to form a container forarticles comprising a substantially rectangular sheet of paperboardhaving four side--by-side panels defined by two opposite edges of theblank and three spaced parallel fold lines parallel to and intermediatesaid opposite edges, each panel having flaps extending, respectively,from opposite edges of the panel and defined from the panel by foldlines at right angles to said firstmentioned spaced parallel fold lines,the flap on the corresponding edge of each of two alternate panelshaving a perforated tear line extending between the lateral edges ofsaid flap closer to the fold line defining the flap from the panel thanto the outer edge of the flap, and severin'i means in each of the twoperforated flaps substantially midway between the lateral edges thereof.and extending substantially perpendicularly from the outer edge of therespective flap to the said perforated tear line therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,997,667 Woerner, Ir. Apr. 16, i935 2,148,480 Larsh Feb. 28, 19392,153,340 Reid Apr. 4, 1939 2,219,560 Maurin Oct. 29, I940 2,288,914Monroe July 7, i942 2,343,222 Nelson Feb. 29, 1944 2,344,999 Newsom Mar.28, 1944 2,390,412 Axberg 4, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 36,284 Norway Nov. 20,1922

